Catch up with Giovanni Xu, Interactive Art Director at Isobar France

In our latest interview, we speak to Isobar France Art Director Giovanni Xu about his recent judging experience at Awwwards, how brands can differentiate themselves and advice he’d give young creatives starting in the industry.

What do you look for when judging work for Awwwards?

When I judge work for Awwwards, I firstly look at the design, if it’s well-done, pixel perfect with a clean layout combined with great typography and is a pleasure to use. I then look at the website experience in its entirety. What I mean by experience is how users navigate and interact with the pages. Is it easy and intuitive? If all of this is done well, it will score very highly!

Are awards for the best creative and digital work still relevant in the industry?

Yes, of course! We need to know what the industry bench mark is for creative and digital work, so we can always improve our ideas and the execution of these ideas. With the industry moving at such a fast pace, a new piece of digital technology or approach to creativity can open up a whole new world of ideas. Awards are also great ways to inspire and motivate teams.

In today’s experience economy, how can businesses and brands differentiate themselves?

Consumers no longer just buy from brands, they actively join them. To differentiate and stay relevant in the experience economy today, brands need to engage consumers across an ecosystem of online and offline touchpoints to create a superior customer experience.

Finally, what advice would you give to a creative starting in the industry?

Be confident in what you do, listen to others’ advice, learn from as many people as you can, get different perspectives, stay up to date, do not stress, and be happy… And work hard.